How To Develop An IoT Application

12.09.2018

Internet of Things technologies are something more than just another innovation. They can change our life completely by making every single action we take easier and faster. Do you remember that just several years ago automated doors were something unusual and incomprehensible? Now, we are used to them. Technologies keep being developed, and more significant changes are yet to come.

IoT is one such change. The idea of devices being wirelessly connected to one global network reminds me of the Internet a bit. In this case, however, we have to deal with a concept that is more than that. The simplest example can be taken from our everyday lives. The coffee machine starts preparing your favourite drink right at the moment you turn off the alarm clock. With the help of the same technology, the Uber driver receives the notification that it is time to drive to your place and pick you up 15 minutes before you leave.

The opportunities for changes are unlimited; now, we just have to discover the possibilities and use them. So, let’s discuss how to build an IoT application and join this hype.

Building IoT Application: Why It Is Worth Your Attention

If you are a newcomer here, you’re probably wondering why you should pay attention to this. Nowadays, there are so many ways to successfully invest money for a non-technical person. So, let’s find out if IoT is worth it.

The share of the IoT in the retail market was $3.37 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach more than $11 billion by 2025.

As you can see, the financial potential is huge. No doubt there are serious reasons for that. So, why do people invest their money in IoT application development?

Powerful software and hardware assistance, real-time data monitoring, improved property protection, and remote control are only the tip of the iceberg. These benefits of implementing IoT are obvious for almost everyone. But what if we take a look at the benefits from a more professional perspective? Let’s consider the advantages for entrepreneurs.

Internet of Things Uses by Industry

IoT for Your Financial Profit

Visit the App Store or Google Play. Most apps there are either free or really cheap. An IoT app is more expensive and thus cost-effective. There is no reason to worry about how much time you will need to get your return on the investment: you just make an IoT application and sell it.

IoT and Business Relations

IoT is the point of interest not only for startupers and IT companies but also for large, world-famous enterprises. Such brands as IKEA or Intel are constantly interested in high-quality IoT solutions, so there is an opportunity to build a fruitful cooperation with leading companies.

Trådfri lightning range launched in 2017 by IKEA

IoT and Data Collecting

Most websites strive to get as much information about the visitor as possible. This data is crucial for enhancing the user and customer experience, providing only the needed products and offering relevant services. With IoT, all of this data will be in your pocket.

Note that the IoT market is just developing. So, if you get onboard right now, you have all the opportunities to become a front-runner.

How to Build an IoT Application: a Brief Introduction to the Tremendous Topic

The facts mentioned above are making business owners turn their heads towards this technology. If you want to create an IoT application, keep in mind that this task requires money, skills and time. It is pretty time-consuming and challenging. So, we have prepared a detailed introduction so you can be aware of the peculiarities of IoT app development.

Safety Above All

The devices that collect information for you may be subjected to data breaches. Building IoT application requires extra attention to data protection. You have to pay attention to both the hardware and the software to ensure data safety.

Seamless Data Streaming

The next significant thing is data streaming. The network may consist of hundreds of devices connected to one another, and the volumes of data transferred are huge. So, it is crucial to make sure data streaming is fast and efficient.

The Necessity of Data Management

Last but not least, your IoT system should be easy to manage and work with. You’ll need a convenient set of management tools, which may be developed either along with the whole software solution or as individual elements.

Each of these components contributes to your solution’s performance and success, so do not underestimate them.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Create an IoT Application

Finally, we have come to the core of the whole article – how to develop an Internet of Things application. Take a look at the key steps of the process.

1. Develop the Idea

There is no better option for starting a time-consuming expensive development process than to visualize the idea for yourself. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you would like to get as the result. Make sure you have the support of experienced developers. Decide on the industry and niche, functionality, access, notifications, and dashboards – essentially, on everything you need for your app. Consider building a mockup in order to achieve a better development result.

2. Find the Hardware

Depending on the specifics of the industry you have opted for, you have to choose the hardware. All devices for IoT have a few significant features in common:

Embedded OS

Low level of power consumption

Wireless data transmission

If you are not ready to take the responsibility for making this choice, hire a person with expertise in IoT hardware. Not all software developers are able to deal with this type of choice.

3. Decide on Data Storage

You need to find a centralized data storage. It allows collecting, processing and analyzing data. The cloud storage is great for such tasks. It enables data transmission even if there are issues with the connection.

4. Pick the Platform

There are a few solutions developed by global IT companies to make your IoT development easier. We would like to present you with some of them.

Amazon Web Services

The time when Amazon was just a retail platform passed a long time ago. Now, its capabilities are huge. Amazon Web Services is a tool for providing data exchange between chips and devices. This tool provides file hosting and cloud computing features, as well as other functions. The solutions developed with AWS are highly secure.

Azure IoT Suite

eThis great tool was created for enabling the integration of the collected information with the devices. Developed by the Microsoft team, it has cloud architecture and is able to handle great volumes of data. Azure has a considerably beneficial feature: its functionality is extended with lots of useful tools, so you can pick a package that fits your needs the most.

Oracle IoT

This is one of the leading software solutions for creating IoT applications. Built within the Oracle environment, it offers such opportunities as device virtualization, extra fast data exchange, convenient management, Rest API support and many others. It caters to the needs of the large enterprises, but it does not mean you cannot use it for your IoT project if your company is small.

A sample of IoT cloud platform providers

5. Backend Development

It is the most important and interesting stage. Server-side development can actually breathe life into your idea. The goal is to create a smart and optimized algorithm for solving routine tasks. Besides that, this is when the powerful functionality and useful features are created. It is quite hard and challenging, but there are no chances of skipping this task. You need to either hire a competent development team or upgrade your team’s software development skills.

6. Frontend Development

It wouldn’t make sense if your application didn’t interact with the user. The only way to enable interaction is to build a user-friendly interface. Both user interface and user experience have to be taken into account here. This means the app should not only look great but also be easy to use. An intuitive interface with the buttons placed right where they should be will positively impact your app’s popularity. JavaScript and its frameworks would be your reliable tools for building the excellent frontend.

7. Make Changes to the Solution

Beta-testing will show whether your app performs well. You will get the opportunity to improve it by implementing changes based on the first users’ feedback. Only after this, it is the time to launch it and promote it.

The Disadvantages of Ready-Made Solutions for IoT Application Development

You may think that we skipped one important thing. Yes, you can create an IoT solution using a ready-made platform. Building an app from scratch may be rather complicated and time-consuming, but with platforms like Xively or Ubidots you get rid of such cons.

On the other hand, a ready-made solution requires additional costs. You cannot pay once and forget about it. The monthly fee is required. Besides that, it limits the functionality. The app you build on such a platform can have only the features powered by this platform. Last but not least, there is a lack of customization. The one-fits-all solution does not exist.

Final Thoughts

IoT software development is your best chance to join the global changes. Time, money and effort is required; but as a result, you will get the opportunity to contribute to becoming a front-runner in your niche. Besides, you will reap the benefits and financial profits. So, put the worries and hesitations aside and contact us to start your journey to success!